Sorpotel a Goan Delicacy

Sorpotel a Goan Delicacy

The word Sorpotel is derived from the konkani word Soro which means Alcohol/Liquor. Sorpotel is a Goan Delicacy that is not only known in the Goan community but to everyone who has visited Goa. I personally prefer eating Sorpotel for breakfast along with my bread and fried eggs.

When I was much younger I remember having break fast at Souza Lobo’s it used to be fried eggs, sausages, sorpotel and cold coffee that did the trick for me, now that breakfast would be ridiculously expensive at Souza’s, I like Infantaria better, but nothing like making your own Sorpotel! After visiting this post I don’t visit either of these places but have a few local gaddos that make Bhaji Pau πŸ™‚

Sorpotel Recipe

Main Ingredients:

Dicing Pork
1 Kg Pork and ΒΌ Kg Beef or Mutton Liver
Diced Liver and Meat

Sorpotel Masala:

Cleaning Red Kashmiri Chillies
Grind 20 Kashmiri Chillies, 6 Clove, a 2” piece of Cinnamon in vinegar along with Roasting Sorpotel Masala8 flakes of Garlics, a 1” piece of Ginger, 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds, 8 Pepper Corns, 1 and a 1/2” Turmeric Piece, a small ball of Tamarind and a Teaspoon of Sugar.
Chopped Garlic and Ginger

Procedure:

Chopping the PorkPar boil the meat and cut in cubes, fry fat and in the same fat fry meat bits, liver, 3 big onions, little cut garlic and ginger. Wash the pan with a little warm water and use this as well as the stock from boiling the meat to form your gravy. If you need more gravy you can add a cup of water.Frying Pork FatMix the masala with the meat and give it a boil at this time you can add three slit green chilies to just get the flavor right. Sorpotel MasalaTaste the Sorpotel if you want it sour add some more vinegar remember not put to much, if you feel the dish lacks salt you can add some here. Sorpotel
Your Sorpotel is ready, isn’t it jus mouth watering, enjoy your meal!

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Sujata Remedios
8 years ago

Toooo goooood Man!!!

Rudy
8 years ago

Hi Clyde. Thanks for the great Goan recipes! Was just wondering when you mention 1kg of meat, and from the pictures you use meat from ribs, does the 1kg include the bone or just the meat excluding bones? Also do you parboil the liver too, or just fry? Looking forward to giving this famed dish a try!

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Clyde, please don't stop posting. This site is absolutely amazing. God Bless you and your family ( Bhavika and baby). Thank you for sharing your family and your moms recipes with us. Its rare to find someone so selfless. Thanks again !
Neil

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

Clyde you are doing a great job am too lazy to create a profile but will do so soon viva goa !!! Long live this rich receipe and goan tradition !!! SM Chattanooga TN

mollyn dsilva
9 years ago

Hi. Thanks Clyde for this wonderful blog… its so helpful

Thanks again. Mollyn

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

My granma always put pigs blood in her sorpotel. Till today my mum, aunts and rest of the family follow this tradition.

Clyde
9 years ago

how do you have so many spare popos?

Chapar Bhai
9 years ago

I am going to try your recipe (popotel) and see how I go.

Aniket
10 years ago

Thanks Clyde… I remember having Sorpotel fr the first time at a street shop next to St. Anthony's Chapel, Calangute named "Mama's Cuisine" nd it was awesome… its of the year 2011… also had cafreal, beef cutlet wid dat bread… Ohhh God… i so want to re-live those dayzzz… I'l be trying ur recipe πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚

Anonymous
Anonymous
10 years ago

Hey Trina. Here.loved it as I made if for Christmas that's tomorrow 24/12/2013.thanks Clyde.be blessed

Anonymous
Anonymous
10 years ago

The problem with this recipe is that it fails to mention that you need to boil-cool-refrigerate,boil-cool-refrigerate at least 3,4 times for a few days so it becomes great before eating it.

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

I am Diana can u pl send me your sorpotel receipe if u dont mind. Thanks and God Bless
My email dianjoe@hotmail.com

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

LOL… you have Goa sausages from 2005??? You remind me of my friend back in the day, who always got his stock from Goa every time he went there and then rationed it out to some of us here in Qatar… Peace Out! πŸ˜‰

Clyde D'Souza

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Have been making Sorpotel and sunnas for years here in the US. Most of the ingredients for the sorpotel can be got at any good chinese or vietnamese markets in major US cities. In India when you make sorpotel you have to be the major "buyer" of the pig so you have to use the Liver, lungs, ears, snout, and the meat. I also remember putting coagulated blood in the sorpotel. However all that is not necessary. The liver does pass on a very unique taste to the sorpotel which you will not get if you skip the liver. However all of this depends on your pallet and how fondly you remember the taste of sorpotel when you had it as a child. The spice recipe provided here is about right, but here is where I will add information for those who cannot get some of the spice ingredients. Kashmiri chillies are sometimes hard to come by. Instead use Bagdha chillies. They look like normal chillies but their skin has wrinkles on it. You will also notice that when you grind the masala the color of the masala turns red with these chiilies. Instead of goan vinegar use Malt vinegar or Apple cider vinegar, both of which are readily available in the US. For the meat section use the fresh belly portion or bacon of the pig. Fresh bacon is available in most chinese or vietnamese markets here in the US. After par boiling and cutting the meat, fry the meat. Since you are using bacon you will not need to add any oil for the frying. In fact the idea of frying is to get rid of some of the excessive fat. Some might argue that you are wasting good tasting fat and all I can say is depends on how old you are and how regularly you exercise to get rid of you own excessive fat. Ask any cook, fat is where the taste is. Finally when you are done with the sorpotel, add shindap to the sorpotel. Shindap consists of finely cut onion, ginger, green chillies and garlic. This adds freshness to the sorpotel. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes and then sever with sunnas. Bon appetite!

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Tried this recipe for Christmas using apple cider vinegar as suggested by Anita and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe

Cheers
Ann

Sabrina
11 years ago

I buy my Goan Coconut Toddy Vinegar from Bombay Grocers in Mississauga. They also stock a wide variety of Goan masalas and spices as well as red rice. Hope this helps.

Sabrina, Oakville

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

I read the last part. The cook said….Taste the sorpotel, If you WANT it Sour add some more vinegar…….It depends on each ones taste some like a bit more sour,,some like a bit more chilly…Thankx Clyde.
Evan Q8.

Clyde
11 years ago

@ Thank you everyone.

Vinegar is according to taste.

Goa Sausages can be added, you can also make the mixed meat stew with the goa sausages if you like.

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

i have some goa sausages from my trip to Goa in 2005… would like to know if this is still good and safe to use in your sorpotel receipe above. The sausages have already been in the freezer since. Please advise as would like to try your receipe above

Denis
Denis
11 years ago

Excellent site.

For the vinegar I would suggest 2 tablespoons per Kg. initially and add more if needed. Any palm vinegar will work and if not available cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will substitute. If your vinegar is a strong concentrate then reduce the initial quantity.

The traditional Goan recipe used the pigs head as it has a good mix of cartilage and flesh. As with all pork wash the meat before cutting and the skin should be singed to remove the hair (a kitchen blow torch comes in handy in a modern kitchen). The pork/liver ratio is 4:1 or 4:2 if you really like a thick gravy. Pigs blood (black pudding) can be added (with liver) but is not part of the original recipe.

Melissa
Melissa
11 years ago

I enjoy trying out these recipes and am glad I came across this blog. Thanks Clyde and your Mum for all the effort put in.

Melissa

Eve
Eve
11 years ago

Hey Clyde,

As a Goan living away from home, it seems like your recipies provide a way to reconnect with my Goan roots. Thank you so much. i had always thought of Goan authentic recipes to be very complicated but the chef has made them very easy to make. I thank her for this.

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Its not mentioned how much vinegar to put ..Im new to cooking plz assist..

Rachael
Kuwait

Mary
Mary
11 years ago

Hi Clyde,

Called my mum over for lunch and prepared your sorpotel recipe. It turned out exactly like she makes it. She enjoyed it too. Pork liver can be used in this recipe. But the meat and liver has to be boiled separately. The Meat stock has to be used and pork liver stock should be discarded. Thank you for the recipes and keep up the good work. Do you have the goan mandos recipe. If not, i can ask my mum to share it with you.

Mary

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

love, love, LOVE the site! Thanks Clyde! Keep 'em comin'!!

Also love all the comments from everyone. Minus the "Chef" from Melbourne though. This ain't your kitchen buddy!

Karen from Melbourne, try the Filipino grocery stores. They sell coconut vinegar (that I luckily happened to find in an Indian store here) and palm vinegar too! I tried the coconut one and it's the exact same as our Goan toddy! Was over the moon when I found it! So give that a go. Hope that's helpful. I also read somewhere (but haven't tried it myself) that Apple vinegar comes close (?).

Good luck with the site Clyde. Just keep them coming! You're making a lot of Goans around the world really happy!! πŸ™‚

Anita, Brisbane, Australia

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Hi, my name is Gordon, and I am curious to know if pig blood is used in making sorpotel. If so how and when is it used in the method when cooking this dish.

Nigel de Mello (England)
Nigel de Mello (England)
11 years ago

It's great to find an uncomplicated sorpotel recipe like this one. My Granny in Mapusa used to make it with her own ground spices and make Rice Sannas to soak the gravy with. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe.

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Can you please come and make sorpotel and roast pork chilly for me>>>>Kevin from Dubai
I will give you a free ticket and visa

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

hey, the sarapatel "Sara Patel??" expert is all wrong. there is a difference between pork meat and tripe. In Goa they make something called booch from tripe.

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

almost made me cry when I found this site!!! :'( my 2nd X'mas away from home and I miss all the familiar smells of mama and avo's kitchen! But thank you for this, will try and get some dishes going! xoxo

Sam

Christine D
Christine D
12 years ago

Thanks Clyde, looks good. I like how you've simplified this. Now I can surprise my mother at Thanksgiving and make some for the family.

Dennis - Canada
Dennis - Canada
12 years ago

Trying to be as authentic but looking to:
(1) cutting back on high fat content.
(2) An alternative vinegar that has come close to the recipe and available in Toronto Canada is needed.
Any suggestions?

Amber Dsouza
Amber Dsouza
12 years ago

Wowie…. this look awesome… am gonna try this… fingers crossed… First time attempting sorpotel… πŸ™‚ thanx for the recipe

Gautam
12 years ago

To Folks who miss Goan Coconut Toddy Vinegar!

In the USA, I have found Filipino Palm Vinegar in MANY Oriental Grocery shops, especially those catering to South East Asians. Cannot say if it will substitute for Goan Vinegar, but may be worth a try! It is also made from fermented Coconut Neera, which can become strong Toddy depending how it is treated.

BTW, to those of you commenting on Mangalorean or East Indian Sorpotel, why don't you also provide a link to recipes for these? It is always very nice to learn more about India through the most intimate part of human existence, the HOME cooking of her various communities. Thanks.

Look at how much care, effort & love Clyde, his family and his honored Mother have taken to bring their home cooking traditions to the whole wide world. Amazing.

In my own lifetime, more than 80% of the dishes, customs, skills etc. associated with the food preparation of my particular community in West Bengal have become extinct. People have lost their rural roots, the space to prepare food, and time. Plus the mosaic of woodland, field, forest and water that provided a mix of the wild and the cultivated, within easy reach is now forever lost.

So the work that is being preserved in sites like these cannot be fully valued at present!!!!

God Bless.

Gautam.

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Hi Clyde..

Love the recipes, just noted a few down.. Guess what i'm in Goa and have my great family to provide me with the recipes… but since i'm getting married soon, tot i'd do some research of my own and thank God i found this site(hmmm.. need to impress my hubby to be.. I will be visiting all my aunts to collect some precious goan recipes, and from my mum too..

And now i know where to get the best Goan recipes from.. Thanks Clyde!!

Rochelle

Angel
Angel
12 years ago

Thanx Clyde for your marvellous recipes..i hav tried some of them..and they turned out delicious…my hubby for the first time congratulated me for my cooking n also ate more than before.My Hubby n myself live in Dubai.Now dat im going back to India i can try them out for my in-laws too..who will say "Our Daughter-in-law is a good cook…"Thanx alot…God Bless You

Rita
Rita
5 years ago
Reply to  Angel

Hi,
I would like to know if one can use chicken gizzards whilst cookin sarpotel

mitch
13 years ago

Hi Clyde,
Thanks for sharing all these wonderful recipes with us.
Its such a great help for starters like me, to follow graphic explanations of homemade delicacies.
My Goan boyfriend was quite amazed when i cooked some of your dishes πŸ™‚
Michelle from Dubai!
Haters are just jealous!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Hi Clyde,

I am from Melbourne and was wondering what cut of Pork I should be using? also does anyone know if we get Coconut Feny or Goan Toddy Vinegar in Melboure???

Thanks for the recipe, going to try it this weekend…

Karen

prashant panikar
prashant panikar
13 years ago

would like to know about "sol kadi" receipe.all recepies really very good.lot of thanks to you.

Aldonkar
Aldonkar
13 years ago

Hi "Anonymous@NOVEMBER 27, 2009 8:46 PM" from Chicago, I believe what you are looking for are "vodde". If I am not mistaken, you pretty much knead the same dough as you would for "bakri", roll it into flats, cuts circles and deep fry them in oil. Very tasty!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Awesome Recipe!!! Prepared 4kgs of pork, and came out so good, even tho i didnt put in any ginger (cause i did'nt have the ingredient!) EASY GO RECIPE WITHOUT ANY FUSS!!! WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND TO OTHERS TO TRY IT!

LYN

RD
RD
13 years ago

Clyde,
Your sorpotel recipe is fabulous!! I'm a Mangalorean who prefers the Goan version of this dish to the Mangi one :).
I cooked it last night and was quite pleased, so much so that I called up my mum to gloat about my cooking feat..LOL.
I did follow most of your instructions, however I added some more red chillis and pepper corns to the masala while grinding coz I felt it wasn't spiced enough (could be the chillis I have at home).
Anyway, thanks for putting this recipe up. I feel I'm entitled to some bragging rights in the kitchen now. πŸ™‚

Soulcurrydopyaza
Soulcurrydopyaza
13 years ago

Friends, didnt find any typo around vinegar thing – read again "Taste the Sorpotel if you want it sour add some more vinegar remember not put to much, if you feel the dish lacks salt you can add some here."
Its really interesting dish…
:-/ just that I am scared of Pork and I dont eat Beef,experts, how about trying Lamb meat… pl advice
(I assure I wont call it Sorpotel)

Clyde
13 years ago

@ J P Diniz

thanks for the comment, can we have some more details of the portugese sorpotel what is it called and any details of the history?

It would be lovely to have some more insight into the dish!

J P Diniz
13 years ago

The goanese Sorpotel is something that the Portuguese brought with them as they did with Vindalho and other dishes. It is not the food of slaves and it is still today made in Portugal. It can be found in Brazil for the same reason.

Clyde
13 years ago

@ anonymous

no option atleast we do not here only made with turmeric leaves you get it at vegetables shops at this time of the year, you can also grow it in your garden they come up every here at this time

@ bonita πŸ™‚

thank you, a lot of love to you and your family as well, you made my day!

Bonita
13 years ago

I have appreciated the intricate details of the recipe here, and hope to make it – but I LOVED Clyde even more. His heart is so good!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Hi Clyde,

Thankyou for the August 15 desert Pathaloe. This was very fast. The only thing now is to find turmeric leaves. Can we use something else instead.

Thank you

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Hi,
I tried the Shark Amotik. It was delicious. I will be trying more receipes soon. I am looking for this receipe a kind of desert they make on Aug 15 on saffron leaves. Patolis or something. Hope you can post this for us.

Thank you.

Clyde
13 years ago

Thank you everyone for the support! πŸ™‚ All the negative feedback is appreciated too, all the insults well, your only adding to the hate in the world.

Love is all we need πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ oh and good food tooo!